Amid speculation of strained ties between BN and Pakatan Harapan, DAP’s RSN Rayer urged the attorney-general to review the discontinuation of Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s 47 corruption charges.
The charges involved funds from Yayasan Akalbudi, a foundation chaired by Zahid.
Rayer questioned why prosecution against the BN chairperson was discontinued despite the government’s renewed crackdown on corruption, saying the same standards must apply to political allies and opponents.
He also urged the authorities to revive or pursue the matter if the evidence and legal circumstances justified such action.
“Hence my question to the attorney-general now is why are some alleged corruption cases pursued relentlessly while this particular case was brought to an end?” he asked in a statement today.
On Sept 4, 2023, the Kuala Lumpur High Court granted the prosecution’s application for a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) in Zahid’s corruption case.
The lead prosecutor at the time, Dusuki Mokhtar, now the attorney-general, had given 11 reasons for seeking the DNAA, including to allow the prosecution to conduct a more comprehensive and complete investigation into the case.
While a DNAA allows Zahid to be charged again if prosecutors later decide to pursue the case, the decision drew criticism from various quarters, including former Bar Council president Ambiga Sreenevasan, who described it as a “waste of public funds”.
Consistency in prosecution
Rayer stressed that the charges against Zahid were serious and had gone through a lengthy trial before the prosecution was discontinued, even after the defence was called.
He said his call was not intended to pronounce Zahid guilty, but was about equality before the law, consistency in prosecution, and public confidence in the justice system.
“If the government is serious about fighting corruption, there cannot be one standard for political opponents and another for political allies,” he said.
The Jelutong MP said the recent prosecution of former senior political leaders showed that the government was prepared to act against corruption regardless of how powerful or well-connected an individual might be.
He also urged the attorney-general to address concerns over perceptions of selective political prosecution.
“If this government truly wants to convince Malaysians that the era of selective prosecution is over, then it must demonstrate that principle consistently - including in the case of the deputy prime minister,” Rayer said. - FMT
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